The Top Five Best PR Agencies in Chicago
By Junka Tani
Job hunting is a hectic task of figuring out which companies are the best to work at but, most importantly, finding the best match for yourself. As the UIUC chapter of PRSSA, I thought it would be helpful to the readers to narrow down their job hunt as much as possible by listing the top five best PR agencies in Chicago and what sets them apart from others.
According to the O’Dwyer’s site, a site thats specializes in PR news, the following agencies are the top five best PR firms in Chicago as of 2017 and according to revenue:
- Edelman
- An independent communications marketing agency with more than 60 offices in 28 countries
- They have been in business for 65 years and was awarded “2016 Global Agency of the Year” by the Holmes Report, as well as awarded “Best Places to Work” four times by Glassdoor
- Clients include: Starbucks, Unilever, Microsoft
Noteworthy point: A very big and global company, so if you have an international background or knowledge/ interest, it may help a lot!
2. Walker Sand Communications 
- An agency that integrates both PR and digital marketing for B2B technology and professional services companies
- They have offices in Chicago, San Fransisco and Seattle and have been
awarded by none other than the organization PRSA - Clients include: CompTIA, IGLOO Software, Nintex
Noteworthy Point: Majority of clients are softwares and electronics related, so if you’re up to date with technology and obsessed with upgrading to the new iPhone every year, maybe this is the right company for you!
3. Green Target Global LLC 
- A strategic communications firm for B2B organizations founded in Chicago
- The firm was also on Inc Magazines list of “Fastest Growing Companies” for two years and “Boutique Agency of the Year” in 2012 by PRWeek
- Clients include: Royal Bank of Canada, BPI Group, Foley & Lardner
Noteworthy Point: Majority of clients are in the financial and corporate industry, and their headquarters are located in Chicago, so for all of you Chicago lovers/residents, this may be the homiest company for you!
4. Finn Partners 
- Just relaunched the brand this year (2018), and has been a huge global success
- They integrate a wide combination of marketing, digital and social media to represent their clients and was often referred by critics as one of the fastest growing independent agency, as well as “Best Place to Work”
- Clients include: Cinnabon, Logitech, MoMA, Verizon
Noteworthy Point: Finn Partners use a wide variety of PR tactics on a wide variety of clients that extend from the tech world to the food industry, so if you are the type of person that loves being stimulated by different projects, Finn Partners may be the fit for you.
5. Padilla 
- A global PR and communication firm that mostly focuses on using advertising,
investor relations, PR, brand strategy, digital and social marketing to build brands reputations - They currently have six offices in the United States and are the founding members of the Worldcom Public Relations Group, which owns over 100 offices over six continents
- Clients include: 3M, Mayo Clinic, Welch’s, Nestle
Noteworthy Point: If you have an international background or knowledge/interest, and love being stimulated by different projects with clients that vary widely, Padilla may be the fit for you.
The O’Dwyers magazine has been the #1 publication for marketing communications and PR professionals for 32 years and releases issues on different aspects of PR. On top of that, I have also seen professors reference O’Dwyers when mentioning some great agencies. Although the future may seem daunting right now, hopefully this post can give you a bit of an insight on which PR agencies might seem like a great fit for you.
