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PR Council
The PR Council, led by President Kim Sample since 2018, is the US trade body representing over 100 top communications agencies.
PR Council
The PR Council was founded in 1998 as the Council of Public Relations Firms to advocate for the business interests of the agency sector. Kim Sample became President in 2018, steering the organization through a period when agency models are being stress-tested by in-house communications teams and the unbundling of media services. The Council represents firms ranging from global holding-company networks to independent boutiques, with member agencies including Edelman, Weber Shandwick, FleishmanHillard, and Ketchum. The Council's primary work is structured around three pillars: advocacy, professional development, and peer networking. It publishes original research on agency compensation, diversity benchmarks, and talent retention — issues that drive structural costs for member firms. The annual Critical Issues Forum convenes agency CEOs with corporate communications buyers to set shared agendas. In recent years, the Council has focused on standardizing client-agency contracts and pushing back against protracted payment terms that strain agency working capital. Membership spans the largest communications firms in the world, collectively employing tens of thousands and billing billions annually, though the Council does not disclose an aggregated revenue figure. Its programming includes the PRC Next board for mid-career leaders and curated groups that function as professional peer circles — a structure that mirrors the club-like dynamics seen in private equity and venture capital operating partner groups. In 2023, the Council rebranded its online presence to prcouncil.net and introduced a digital resource hub for member benchmarking. The Council operates as a 501(c)(6) trade organization, which distinguishes it from advisory firms or management consultancies. It cannot endorse specific firms or broker deals, but its convening authority makes it the closest entity the industry has to a central coordinating body. This structural position — neutral platform rather than market participant — gives the Council visibility into competitive positioning across the agency landscape without the conflict inherent in for-profit benchmarking services.
General information
Firm type
other
Year founded
1998
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
New York
Corporate office
New York, NY, United States
Principals
Kim Sample
President
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Which agencies are members of the PR Council?
The Council represents more than 100 leading US communications agencies, including global networks such as Edelman, Weber Shandwick, FleishmanHillard, and Ketchum, as well as independent specialty firms. The full member directory is published on the Council's website. Membership spans agency sizes and ownership structures, from publicly traded holding companies to founder-led boutiques.
What does the PR Council actually do for member agencies?
The Council operates three core functions: advocacy on sector-wide business issues such as procurement practices and agency compensation, professional development and leadership programming including the PRC Next initiative, and peer networking through curated forums. It also conducts proprietary benchmarking research that members use to calibrate operations against industry norms.
How is the PR Council funded?
The organization is funded through member dues paid by the agencies it represents. As a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association, its primary obligation is to serve member interests rather than generate profit. Compensation models tied to member billings or headcount are common in comparable trade groups, though the Council does not publicly itemize its dues schedule.
Who runs investment decisions at the PR Council?
The PR Council is a trade association, not an investment firm. It does not manage a portfolio, allocate capital, or make investments. Its financial decisions are administrative and programmatic, overseen by President Kim Sample and the Council's board of directors, which is composed of member agency CEOs.
Does the PR Council maintain philanthropic structures?
The Council itself is not a philanthropic entity, though many of its member agencies maintain corporate social responsibility programs and pro-bono client rosters. The Council has addressed structural equity issues through diversity benchmarking and the publication of workforce demographic data across the agency sector, positioning this as an industry infrastructure issue rather than a charitable one.
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