What ESCAL Consulting does

ESCAL Consulting is a Paris-headquartered, privately held influence strategy and 360° communication consultancy founded in 1999 by CEO Louis Davin and COO Karine Berthier. The firm offers integrated services spanning influence strategy (intelligence gathering, audit, message platform, strategic planning, fundraising support, event design), media relations (influencer partnerships, media training, crisis communication), public relations and lobbying, social media management, and brand content production (editorial, video, motion design, photo studio). ESCAL operates a "single conductor" model in which one account lead coordinates multi-service, multi-country campaigns. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; revenue is derived from professional services engagements.

The firm's primary technical asset is a proprietary intranet platform containing 20 years of accumulated international press and public relations data, described as unique on the market and providing privileged access to media and influencer networks. ESCAL operates from three offices on three continents — Paris (headquarters since 1999, 25 consultants, 13 EU languages), Shanghai (since 2008, 8 consultants, 3 APAC languages), and New York (since 2015, 12 consultants, 4 AME languages) — with a 35-person team representing 15 nationalities. The business is 100% independent with no external investors; share capital is €15,000 and the legal entity is registered as ESCAL CONSULTING (RCS Paris 428 076 897).

ESCAL serves a dual client base of fast-growing startups and large enterprises, with documented engagements including ALTEN, LexisNexis, Avis Budget Group, Uniper, PHYT'S, Château du Clos-Lucé, NAVYA, Medadom, Matooma, and LaFourchette.com. Customer outcomes cited include 32 average monthly media clippings over 6 years for Matooma (later acquired by Wireless Logic Group), 1,200+ publications and 102 TV/radio appearances in 2 years for LaFourchette.com (acquired by TripAdvisor for $150M in 2014), and 42 monthly clippings plus 10 AFP dispatches in a national campaign for SPS. The firm was recognized in the 2023 and 2024 PR Agencies Rankings in France and holds Qualiopi certification from the French Ministry of Education for its media training program.

Name

ESCAL Consulting

Legal name

ESCAL CONSULTING

Website

https://escalconsulting.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ESCAL Consulting is a privately held Paris-based influence strategy and 360° communication agency founded in 1999, serving startups and enterprises across Paris, Shanghai, and New York with PR, media relations, lobbying, and brand content services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services - Influence Strategy: Influence strategy services including intelligence and information gathering, audit, message platform development, strategic communication planning, studies, fundraising support, and qualified event design.
2. Media Relations Services: Media relations and influencer management, media partnerships, media training, and crisis communication services.
3. Public Relations Services: Public relations and lobbying services for business and decision-making influence.
4. Social Media Services: Social media management and community animation services.
5. Brand Content Services: Editorial content, photos and videos production including infographics, motion design, testimonial videos, corporate films, and photo studio services.
6. Training Services - Media Training: Media training programs covering storytelling, French press mechanics, verbal and non-verbal communication codes, and interview preparation. Training is delivered in modules including lectures and practical speaking exercises.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ESCAL Consulting is a Paris-based consulting firm providing influence strategy and 360° communication services, including intelligence gathering, audit, message platform development, media relations, public relations and lobbying, social media management, brand content production, and media training. Services are delivered by consultant teams across Paris, New York, and Shanghai for fast-growing companies and large enterprise clients.

Product overview

ESCAL Consulting is a consulting firm offering a unified influence strategy and 360° communication service portfolio. The core offering combines influence strategy (intelligence gathering, audit, messaging, strategic planning), media relations (influencers, partnerships, crisis communication), public relations (lobbying, business engagement), social media management, and brand content (editorial, video, motion design). The firm also provides a Media Training program. A differentiating element is their proprietary intranet platform developed over 20 years, providing privileged access to media and influencers with efficient campaign reporting. All services are coordinated through a single conductor model integrating multi-service, multi-country campaigns.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Influence Strategy
• Media Relations
• Public Relations and Lobbying
• Social Media Management
• Brand Content Production
• Media Training Program
• Proprietary Intranet Platform for Media and Influencer Intelligence

Quantifiable outcome

• Matooma achieved 32 monthly media clippings average over 6 years, generating leads that resulted in acquisition by Wireless Logic Group in July 2019
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Chinese Business ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESCAL Consulting managed media and influencer relations for Chinese Business Club for one year, organizing smart campaigns including open forums with wide media coverage, press conferences such as Chinese New Year event, and proactive responses to economic and political news. The partnership established the club as essential with journalists and the business/institutional ecosystem.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hopscotch: Paris-headquartered PR and communications agency with strong presence in Europe and emerging markets. Direct peer to ESCAL given similar geographic focus, multi-country campaign capabilities, and French enterprise/startup client base.
• Image Sept: Established French PR and communications agency based in Paris. Closely comparable to ESCAL as a French-headquartered PR firm serving enterprise and institutional clients with media relations and influence services.
• Brunswick Group: Global advisory firm specializing in critical issues, public affairs, and strategic communications. Comparable to ESCAL for its emphasis on influence strategy, public affairs, and corporate reputation work with enterprise clients.

Broad incumbents

• Ketchum: Global communications consultancy offering PR, public affairs, and brand marketing services. Comparable to ESCAL's full-service media relations and corporate communications positioning.
• Weber Shandwick: Global public relations and communications agency offering media relations, public affairs, and integrated campaigns. Overlaps with ESCAL's media relations and influence strategy offerings, particularly for multinational clients.
• FleishmanHillard: International communications and PR agency with strong public affairs and media relations capabilities. Comparable to ESCAL in its integrated PR + public affairs model serving both enterprise and high-growth clients.
• FTI Consulting (Strategic Communications): Global consulting firm with a strategic communications segment covering public affairs, crisis, and media relations. Comparable to ESCAL for crisis communication and influence services to large enterprises and multinationals.
• Edelman: World's largest independent PR firm with global reach across corporate, public affairs, and crisis communications. Comparable to ESCAL as a multi-service influence/communications consultancy serving enterprise and growth clients, though at vastly greater scale.
• Havas PR & Influence: Global communications network with significant PR and influence operations across Europe and internationally. Comparable to ESCAL's 360° communication positioning and influence-strategy focus.
• Burson (BCW): Global communications agency providing public relations, public affairs, and reputation management. Comparable to ESCAL in delivering integrated influence campaigns for enterprise and high-growth clients.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/escalconsulting
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/escal-consulting
• Instagraminstagram.com/escalconsulting/?hl=fr

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 ESCAL Consulting