The majority of the biggest public relations firms in Orange County increased their staffing levels during the 12 months ended July 31, combining to more than double the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ projected 6% pace of national industry growth.
The 40 companies on this year’s Business Journal list, which is ranked based on employee counts, have 501 public relations staffers—a collective uptick of 14%. The local work force is at 539, up 13.5%.
The local firms’ growth comes as a steady national economy encourages companies to spend more on marketing and communications. Those on last year’s list increased staff by 12%.
Twenty-four firms added workers in the past 12 months, 11 kept their numbers steady, and three cut jobs. Staffing levels for the remaining two firms are Business Journal estimates.
• The Brand Amp in Newport Beach retained the No. 1 spot. New hires of mostly entry-level account executives and coordinators accounted for a 20.6% increase and 41 total at the firm (see related story, page 1).
• Idea Hall in Costa Mesa, No. 2, kept its employee count at 33. A couple of openings resulted in senior hires, including Executive Creative Director TJ Bennett, who joined this month from Saatchi & Saatchi in Torrance. He now is a part of the agency’s “senior leadership team,” which also includes founders Rebecca and Randy Hall, Creative Director Cynthia Murnane, Director of Public Relations Anita Mellon, and Account Director Dave MacLeod.
• Citizen Relations, No. 5, added three positions at its Irvine office for a total of 20 employees, a 17.6% increase.
The agency, headquartered in New York, hired Nathan Friedman as general manager of U.S. operations. He’d spent the previous 16 years at Ogilvy & Mather and now leads “all aspects of client service, talent management, as well as business development, growth and innovation” for the Irvine, New York and Los Angeles offices.
Friedman replaced Christian Chamberlin, who moved to Hong Kong to manage the firm’s Asia Pacific region.
• Beach House PR Inc. in Newport Beach moved up four spots to No. 8. The agency increased its staff by 33% for a total of 16. It also opened a New York office, founder Amy Denoon said.
• Beyond Fifteen Communications Inc. also rose through the ranks, jumping from No. 17 to No. 11. The agency, whose motto is “taking B2B and B2C brands beyond their 15 minutes of fame,” added three staffers for a total of 14.
• Newport Beach-based Brower, Miller & Cole also landed at No. 11, along with IMW Agency in Costa Mesa.
• Bluetone Marketing and Public Relations in Ladera Ranch jumped 12 spots to No. 15. It increased its staff by 71.4% for a total of 12.
Bluetone shares the ranking with Newport Beach-based Estey-Hoover Advertising & PR and FSB Core Strategies in Costa Mesa, which increased their staffs by 50% and advanced from the No. 24 spot. Wilson, Sparling & Associates Inc. in San Juan Capistrano kept its employee count at 12 and also dropped a couple of spots to No. 15.
• Powerhouse Public Relations LLC dropped 14 spots to No. 26, reporting a staff of eight—the same as last year.
Kristin Daher, who took over Morgan Marketing & Public Relations in Irvine from Melinda Morgan Kartsonis, changed the agency name to Powerhouse and moved it to Santa Ana. Morgan Kartsonis still works with select clients, including luxury jeweler Lugano Diamonds.
There are six newcomers on the list, including KComm in San Clemente, which debuts at No. 24. Reveille Inc. in Costa Mesa placed at No. 28 with seven employees, a 40% uptick for the boutique PR agency. Cognitive Impact in Fullerton had five workers, up 66.7% and good for the No. 37 spot.
