AKCG - Public Relations Counselors

What AKCG - Public Relations Counselors does

AKCG - Public Relations Counselors is a privately held, full-service public relations firm founded in 1984 and headquartered in Glassboro, New Jersey. The firm specializes in crisis communications, crisis preparedness, media relations, thought leadership positioning, spokesperson training, and reputation management, serving a national client base across four primary verticals: senior living and aging services, higher education, independent schools, and home health care. AKCG differentiates through deep vertical specialization, 40 years of operating history, and a team that includes APR-accredited professionals and a PRSA College of Fellow. Beyond the Greater Philadelphia headquarters, the firm maintains offices in Gaithersburg, Maryland (Washington D.C. market) and Cleveland, Ohio.

The firm operates a consultative, sales-led professional services model, generating revenue through customized, quote-based engagements tailored to each client's scope of work. Recurring and productized offerings include AKCG On Call (24/7 crisis response retainer), AKCG Accelerator (media relations enhancement program), and the Media Mastery Program (media training). Client acquisition is driven by direct relationships, association partnerships (LeadingAge, CUPRA, SOCMA, SHSMD, NBOA, NAIS, PPRA, IPREX), referrals, and thought leadership content. AKCG does not employ proprietary technology platforms; its value proposition is built on human expertise, industry credentials, and crisis response capabilities rather than software or automation. The firm has no disclosed parent company, external investment, or public financial reporting.

Name

AKCG - Public Relations Counselors

Legal name

AKCG – Public Relations Counselors

Website

https://akcg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AKCG is a privately held, 40-year-old public relations firm specializing in crisis communications, media relations, and reputation management for senior living, higher education, home health care, and independent school clients across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Glassboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Consulting and Professional Services: AKCG generates revenue through professional consulting engagements including crisis communications counseling, media relations services, thought leadership strategy, spokesperson training, and preparedness planning. Services are delivered through direct client relationships with organizations across senior living, higher education, healthcare, and education sectors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AKCG is a public relations counseling firm that delivers crisis management and response, crisis preparedness planning, media relations, thought leadership strategy, spokesperson media training, and reputation management services. The firm is organized around six core service areas and serves a national client base through direct, retainer and project-based engagements, with deep specialization in senior living, higher education, independent schools, and home health care.

Product overview

AKCG is a public relations firm offering an integrated portfolio of crisis communications and strategic communications services. The core offering centers on crisis management (response and preparedness), media relations, thought leadership, and spokesperson training. Key products include AKCG On Call (24/7 crisis team access), AKCG Accelerator (media relations enhancement), and Media Mastery Program (media training). The firm specializes in serving senior living, higher education, independent schools, and home health care industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Crisis Management & Response Immediate crisis response services enabling nearly instantaneous communications with key audiences during emergencies, focused on establishing open communication channels and managing reactions before escalation. For organizations in senior living, higher education, independent schools, home health care, and other regulated or reputation-sensitive sectors.
• Crisis Preparedness & Planning Strategic planning and training services to help organizations anticipate crises, develop actionable communications plans, and mitigate potential reputational damage through proactive preparation. Includes AKCG On Call for 24/7 access to an experienced crisis response team.
• Spokesperson Media Training Training program focused on substance, key message delivery, authoritative communication, and credible positioning both verbally and non-verbally for media interactions and interpersonal scenarios. Designed for executives and organizational spokespeople who engage with media and stakeholders.
• Thought Leadership Strategy Program to define or refine organizational positioning within industries and amplify client positions among key stakeholders through strategic differentiation. Aims to extend advocacy and thought leader perspectives beyond an organization's typical platforms.
• Media Relations & PR Bottom-line driven media relations services including crafting effective pitches, managing press events, securing media placements, and building journalist relationships. Focused on advancing business objectives rather than vanity metrics.
• Reputation Management Strategic services to build, preserve, and restore positive organizational reputations through targeted communications programs. Encompasses ongoing proactive reputation building as well as issue and crisis-driven reputation repair.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• LeadingAgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeadingAge is a partnership association for organizations serving older adults. AKCG serves as Proud Partners, providing specialized PR and communications support to member organizations in the senior living and aging services sector.
• CUPRA (College and University Professional Association for Human Resources)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCUPRA supports higher education HR professionals. AKCG partners with CUPRA to serve member organizations with communications and PR expertise.
• SOCMA (Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOCMA represents specialty chemical manufacturers. AKCG serves as Proud Partners providing communications support to SOCMA member companies.
• SHSMD (Society for Healthcare Strategy & Marketing)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSHSMD is a professional organization for healthcare strategy and marketing professionals. AKCG partners with SHSMD to serve healthcare and home health care clients.
• NBOA (National Business Officers Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBOA serves independent school business officers. AKCG partners with NBOA to provide communications expertise to independent school members.
• PPRA (Philadelphia Public Relations Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPPRA is the Philadelphia chapter of PRSA. Multiple AKCG team members serve in leadership roles including APR chair for New Jersey Chapter of PRSA.
• NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAIS serves independent schools. AKCG partners with NAIS to serve member institutions with PR and communications support.
• IPREXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPREX is a global network of independently owned communication agencies. Angelica Flynn serves as an inaugural fellow of the IPREX Academy leadership program.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Greentarget: Boutique public relations firm serving professional services, technology, and healthcare clients. Comparable to AKCG in service mix (media relations, thought leadership, crisis) and mid-market client focus.
• The Reis Group: Healthcare-focused PR firm with strong crisis and reputation capabilities. Comparable to AKCG in healthcare vertical expertise and emphasis on crisis preparedness and response.
• Cerrell Associates: Crisis and public affairs firm specializing in high-stakes issues management. Direct peer in crisis communications services with a similar size and counsel-driven model.
• Hennes Communications: Crisis communications firm based in the Midwest that has been integrated as a division of AKCG. Direct peer in crisis-only specialty services, particularly for industrial and manufacturing clients.
• Crosby Marketing Communications: Mid-sized integrated communications agency with healthcare and public sector expertise. Comparable to AKCG in serving regulated industries with both communications and marketing services.
• Levick Strategic Communications: Mid-sized crisis communications and public relations firm focused on high-stakes reputational issues. Closely comparable to AKCG in size, crisis-first positioning, and counsel-led service model.

Broad incumbents

• Padilla (ICF): Communications firm (part of ICF) with healthcare, education, and public affairs practices. Comparable to AKCG in vertical exposure to senior living, healthcare, and higher education, with broader scale.
• Edelman: Global communications firm with a large crisis and reputation practice. Edelman is a broader incumbent that competes with AKCG for crisis communications and reputation management engagements, particularly with large enterprise clients.
• FTI Consulting (Strategic Communications): Global consulting firm with a strategic communications segment specializing in crisis, public affairs, and change communications. Overlaps with AKCG's crisis response and reputation management offerings for enterprise clients.
• Weber Shandwick: Large global PR agency with strong crisis, healthcare, and public affairs practices. Comparable to AKCG in crisis communications services but with vastly greater scale and geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AKCGfirm
• Facebookfacebook.com/AKCGfirm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/AKCGfirm
• Instagraminstagram.com/akcgfirm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 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 AKCG - Public Relations Counselors