Edelman reigns in PRWeek’s top 40 tech agencies report
Thursday, 26 September 2013 00:00
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The technology PR sector continues to grow as it adapts to changing requirements from clients. Lynsey Barber looks at the best performing tech agencies’ fortunes last year
Edelman, the world’s largest PR agency continues its long-held reign at the top of PRWeek’s annual ranking of the industry’s top 40 technology agencies. Hotwire climbed to the number two spot, usurping Brands2Life, which was also pushed down into fourth place by new entrant Good Relations Group at number three. The tech PR sector experienced a boost, with overall fee incomes jumping by 30% on 2011, hitting £ 74 m.
The technology sector has undergone a significant shift in the past 12 months. Technology firms are moving on from wanting to reach a traditionally niche but forward-thinking ‘tech’ audience through trade media and tech titles.
A wider consumer audience is now hungry for technology news and national titles want to be on top of these stories. The majority of tech agencies are adjusting to this changing landscape and consequently are experiencing rising fee incomes. The total tech fee income of PRWeek’s latest Top 40 Tech Consultancies sample is up almost 30% on last year.
Much like the rest of the industry, expanded tech agencies are offering content and digital services to clients, meaning they are able to grab a greater share of budgets. Technology also lends itself well to a more integrated comms approach as clients are more open to the benefits of digital activity.
The Good Relations Group, newly formed by the MBO of Bell Pottinger, is a significant entry in third position. The strong performance of the group demonstrates how the sector is now cutting across disciplines, with tech clients handled across the group’s agencies, and accounting for more than its consumer or corporate fee income.
The battle between those mobile firms that are hot on the heels of dominant brands Apple and Samsung has resulted in juicy PR briefs for a number of agencies, and a boost for the technology sector.
However, as the tech industry becomes more consolidated, clients are also looking to get increased value out of their agency relationships, resulting in a certain amount of churn of the more established firms’ briefs. Aside from the familiar tech names, a steady stream of smaller briefs are coming from start-ups, both homegrown firms and foreign firms entering the UK market, which are turning to PR to help them become the next big thing.
