Eckel & Vaughan

What Eckel & Vaughan does

Eckel & Vaughan (legal entity: Eckel and Vaughan Group LLC) is a Raleigh, North Carolina-based strategic communications agency founded in 2008 by Albert Eckel and Harris Vaughan. The firm serves enterprise organizations and government agencies facing complex, high-stakes communications challenges, with named client engagements spanning aviation (RDU Airport Authority), manufacturing (House of Raeford Farms), food service (Smithfield's Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q), retail/consumer (Sears Heroes/Rebuilding Together), and state government (North Carolina ABC Commission). The firm positions itself as a "translator of complexity," emphasizing senior partner involvement on every engagement.

The firm's service portfolio is organized around six core practice areas: Public Relations, Public Affairs, Public Engagement, Crisis Planning, Engagement Training, and Community Assessment. Underlying methodology combines quantitative research and data analysis with stakeholder mapping, GIS-based community pattern analysis, integrated digital and in-person engagement forums, and custom crisis response protocols with scenario planning. The firm has earned a PRSA Silver Anvil (2017), Silver Addy (2023), and TCREW Champion Award (2022), and was named a Best Place to Work by the Triangle Business Journal (2020). The company runs a "100 Business Problems Solved in 10 Years" tracking initiative launched in 2023.

E&V operates as a founder-owned private LLC with no external private equity or venture capital investment indicated. Revenue is generated through project-based engagements and retainer arrangements at undisclosed, custom pricing. Distribution is exclusively direct enterprise sales led by the partner/founder team, with no self-serve or productized channels. The team comprises approximately 30+ professionals, supported by a structured internship, fellowship, and career pipeline. Geographic focus is the U.S. Southeast, with select federal and D.C.-adjacent engagements handled by team members with prior Capitol Hill and federal agency experience.

Name

Eckel & Vaughan

Legal name

Eckel and Vaughan Group LLC

Website

https://eandvgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Eckel & Vaughan is a Raleigh, NC-based strategic communications agency founded in 2008 that provides public relations, public affairs, public engagement, crisis planning, and community assessment services to enterprise organizations and government agencies facing complex, high-stakes communications challenges.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Strategic Communications Consulting

NAICS

Public Relations Agencies (54182), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Strategy & Corporate Development Consulting (BPAHACAA)

Keywords

• Strategic communications consulting
• Public relations services
• Crisis communications planning
• Public affairs advocacy
• Community engagement programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Strategic Communications Consulting and Professional Services: E&V operates as a full-service strategic communications agency offering integrated communications programs and specialized solutions. Services include public relations, public affairs, public engagement, crisis planning, engagement training, and community assessment. Revenue is generated through client engagements and retainer arrangements for ongoing strategic counsel.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

E&V Strategic Communications is a full-service strategic communications agency delivering six core consulting services: Public Relations, Public Affairs, Public Engagement, Crisis Planning, Engagement Training, and Community Assessment. Engagements are project- or retainer-based, combining strategic counsel with community assessments, GIS-based data analysis, stakeholder research, media relations, crisis response, and field team training to address complex, high-stakes business and reputational challenges for enterprise and government clients.

Product overview

E&V Strategic Communications is a full-service strategic communications agency offering six core consulting services: Public Relations, Public Affairs, Public Engagement, Crisis Planning, Engagement Training, and Community Assessment. The firm also runs a '100 Business Problems Solved' initiative tracking their impact since 2023. All services are professional consulting offerings delivered by the agency's team rather than software products or platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Relations Strategic communications service that transforms complex communication challenges into opportunities, positioning clients as authorities through media relations, thought leadership, crisis strategies, content development, media monitoring, sentiment analysis, and event planning. Targeted at enterprise organizations and senior leaders needing authority-building communications support.
• Public Affairs Strategic public affairs service that helps clients navigate the intersection of business, government, and community interests through integrated advocacy campaigns, public opinion surveying, coalition building, grassroots mobilization, and stakeholder engagement. Intended for organizations operating in policy-sensitive environments.
• Public Engagement High-touch communications program combining community assessments, field team outreach, and innovative digital platforms with in-person forums to ensure diverse stakeholder participation and measure how community input influences decisions. Designed for infrastructure, development, and industrial project sponsors needing community buy-in.
• Crisis Planning Crisis communications service that designs custom response plans within weeks and trains executive teams to respond swiftly and confidently, including crisis communications planning, rapid response protocols, scenario planning, and monitoring. Aimed at organizations needing to protect reputation and operational continuity during incidents.
• Engagement Training Custom training workshop that equips field personnel to confidently communicate value, spot business opportunities, navigate community interactions, manage PR challenges, and reduce project risk on-site. Targeted at operations, community relations, and field teams at industrial and infrastructure clients.
• Community Assessment Customized assessment service that gauges community attitudes and identifies key stakeholders before project launches, combining quantitative research, data analysis (including GIS mapping), and stakeholder research to build a roadmap for gaining public support. Used by project sponsors preparing to break ground on new or expanded operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 559 earned media placements, 611 million impressions, and 24+ million audience reach for a single Miami event campaign
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Triangle Takeoff CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020The Triangle Takeoff Coalition was formed by E&V for RDU Airport Authority to unite regional economic powerhouses including Duke University, PNC, Lenovo, Syngenta, and United Therapeutics to fund and strategically support RDU's air travel recovery campaign 'Carry On' during the COVID-19 pandemic. E&V led the coalition building and campaign strategy. The coalition continues to meet regularly to chart the airport's future role as a regional economic driver.
• The Sunday Supper (Vision Partners)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016E&V co-founded The Sunday Supper initiative in response to Hurricane Matthew, creating an event platform that brings communities together to share meals, celebrate commonalities, and raise funds for local charity. The initiative earned a PRSA Silver Anvil in 2017 for community service. E&V collaborated with local agencies and volunteers on this initiative.
• Rebuilding Together / Sears HeroesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007E&V partnered with Rebuilding Together and Sears Heroes to amplify stories of veteran and military family service through home improvement projects. E&V led media relations for the Heroes at Home initiative, coordinating national coverage including a satellite media tour with NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner.
• North Carolina General AssemblyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerE&V team member Mary Wesley Craft previously advocated for Medicaid expansion in the North Carolina General Assembly. The firm's public affairs work involves engagement with government and policy stakeholders.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ketchum: Global public relations firm (now part of Omnicom) offering media relations, public affairs, crisis, and content marketing. Broad incumbent that competes for larger Southeast accounts and increasingly for the types of integrated communications engagements E&V handles.
• Edelman: World's largest public relations firm with global public affairs, crisis, and brand communications capabilities. Sets the strategic communications standard E&V aspires to and competes with for larger mandates.
• Weber Shandwick: Global public relations and communications agency with deep public affairs and integrated communications practice. Competitor for large enterprise and public affairs accounts in the Southeast.
• BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe): Global communications agency offering public affairs, crisis, and corporate reputation services. Comparable in public affairs and crisis planning capabilities at significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Brunswick Group: Global strategic communications firm focused on critical issues, M&A, and stakeholder engagement. Closely comparable to E&V's 'high-stakes situations' positioning and public affairs practice.
• Capstrat: Raleigh, NC-headquartered public affairs and strategic communications firm serving corporate, government, and association clients. Direct competitor in the Southeast public affairs space and a benchmark for public engagement work in NC.
• The Hodges Partnership: Richmond, VA-based public relations and public affairs agency of similar size and service mix. Comparable as a Southeast-based mid-size PR/public affairs firm targeting regional enterprise and government clients.
• FGS Global (Finsbury Glover Hering): Global strategic communications and public affairs firm specializing in M&A, crisis, and public affairs advisory. Comparable to E&V's public affairs and crisis capabilities at a much larger scale; benchmarks the strategic communications category E&V operates in.
• Clairemont Communications: Raleigh, NC-based PR and communications agency of comparable size focused on media relations, issues management, and integrated communications. Highly comparable as a regional Southeast competitor; multiple E&V team members previously worked at Clairemont.
• French West/Woodward: North Carolina-headquartered integrated marketing and communications agency offering PR, public affairs, and crisis services. Comparable in regional footprint and service mix, including crisis communications and public affairs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EckelVaughan
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eckel-and-vaughan
• Instagraminstagram.com/eandvgroup
• Xx.com/eckelvaughan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Eckel & Vaughan