The most visible PR agencies, October 2026

October 2026 · 15 questions asked in English, worldwide · ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini and Google AI Mode · 60 answers read

Leader

5W

27Heralded Score, range 8–38

Most cited source

prsa.org

8citations

From Google AI Mode, Gemini, Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT

Where engines disagree most

Edelman

1/4engines put it in their top three

Top three on Google AI Mode, not on Gemini, Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT

Brands

Search is not measured for this board yet, so it ranks on AI answers.

Rank Brand Rank change Heralded Score All AI Score trend Mentioned Recommended By engine Mentioned by Change
– Axicom GB Unranked Too few answers Not measured
–
  • : Unranked
0% 0% None First reading
– Ballou FR Unranked Too few answers Not measured
–
  • : Unranked
0% 0% First reading
– BAM Communications US Unranked Too few answers Not measured
–
  • : Unranked
1% 0% None First reading
– Barton PR & Marketing Unranked Too few answers Not measured
–
  • : Unranked
0% 0% None First reading
– Bateman Group US Unranked Too few answers Not measured
–
  • : Unranked
0% 0% None First reading
– BCW US Unranked Too few answers Not measured
–
  • : Unranked
2% 0% First reading
– Bender Group PR US Unranked Too few answers Not measured
–
  • : Unranked
2% 1% None First reading
– Black Unicorn PR US Unranked Too few answers Not measured
–
  • : Unranked
2% 0% First reading
– BLASTmedia US Unranked Too few answers Not measured
–
  • : Unranked
0% 0% None First reading
– Bluelinks Agency EG Unranked Too few answers Not measured
–
  • : Unranked
2% 0% None First reading

“=” marks brands whose score ranges overlap, so the test cannot separate them. Every brand named in at least three answers is ranked. AI gives each brand’s score and rank from the engines’ answers; Search is not measured for this board yet. By engine has one dot per engine (ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini and Google AI Mode), darker the more often it names the brand.

Most cited sources

Rank Source Type Cited in Engines Pages cited Brands its pages mention
11 reddit.com Community 5.0% 1 of 4 4 Not read
12 techcrunch.com Media 3.3% 1 of 4 3 Not read
13 the-square.co Consultancy 6.7% 1 of 4 1 8
14 avaansmedia.com Consultancy 5.0% 2 of 4 3 Not read
15 clutch.co Directory 5.0% 3 of 4 3 Not read
16 entrepreneur.com Media 5.0% 2 of 4 3 Not read
17 linkedin.com Social 5.0% 2 of 4 3 Not read
18 medium.com Community 5.0% 2 of 4 2 Not read
19 pr.co Vendor site 3.3% 1 of 4 1 Not read
20 shadow.inc Vendor site 5.0% 2 of 4 2 Not read

Questions asked

QuestionLanguageMost recommended
Public relations agency for a startup English Beantown Media Ventures (BMV), BMV, Bospar, Spry PR, Treble, Treble PR and Uncork-it Inc, tied
How can a startup get press coverage for its launch? English No brand recommended
How do I find a PR agency that knows our industry? English No brand recommended
In-house communications vs. PR agency for a growing company English No brand recommended
PR freelancer vs. PR agency for a startup English No brand recommended
Alternatives to hiring a PR agency on a retainer English No brand recommended
Alternatives to sending press releases to journalists yourself English No brand recommended
I lead communications at a mid-sized company and need help handling a crisis. English No brand recommended
how to get media coverage for a startup English No brand recommended
how much does a pr agency cost English No brand recommended

Each engine's top three

Method

Each leaderboard ranks brands on two sides. AI is how ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Overviews and Google AI Mode answer the board's buyer questions. Search is Google's top 10 results for the keywords behind those questions. All combines the two, where Search is measured.

For the AI side, each month Heralded asks every engine the same buyer questions, twice each, and reads every answer. An answer counts 0 for a brand it leaves out, 50 for a brand it names and 100 for a brand it recommends, and the Heralded Score is built from those. A brand named in at least three answers gets a score and a place.

How the leaderboards are measured