Agency moves up in rankings across eight practice areas, lands in top five of two new segments and maintains position among nation’s 20 largest agencies
RALEIGH, N.C. (May 15, 2025) – French/West/Vaughan (FWV), one of the nation’s largest independently held public relations, advertising and digital media agencies, has maintained its top spot in the Southeast region and ranks among the country’s 20 largest independently-owned agencies in the most recent 2025 O’Dwyer’s Ranking of Top U.S. PR Firms.
Based on audited, worldwide annual fee billings, O’Dwyer’s ranked FWV first in the Southeast, a distinction the agency has held for 24 consecutive years. FWV also kept its top 20 position among all U.S. agencies for the second year in a row, landing at No. 19 this year.
The agency maintained top five rankings in two key practice areas – Entertainment (No. 3) and Sports (No. 5). It jumped from the No. 4 to No. 3 spot in Beauty, Fashion & Lifestyle, as well as moved up from No. 7 to No. 5 for Agriculture. FWV also landed in the top five among Adult Beverages & Spirits (No. 5) and Crisis Communications (No. 4), both new categories in O’Dwyer’s specialty rankings this year.
The agency moved into the top 10 rankings in four sectors – Environmental, Sustainability & Greentech (No. 10, up from No. 14), Home Furnishings (No. 10, up from No. 15), Public Affairs (No. 9, up from No. 16) and Real Estate Finance and Development (No. 10, up from No. 11). It also moved up in top 10 rankings in two practice areas – Automotive/Transportation (No. 8, up from No. 9) and Energy (No. 7, up from No. 9). Finally, FWV maintained its top 10 ranking in Travel, Hospitality & Economic Development (No. 10).
“Retaining our top ranking in the Southeast and earning recognition across several key practice areas is an accomplishment and reflection of the incredible campaign work our associates deliver every day,” said FWV Chairman & CEO Rick French. “These achievements underscore the talent, creativity and dedication of our people, as well as the enduring trust our clients place in us to help move their businesses forward.”
Also recently announced, FWV was included in PRWeek’s list of top global firms, independent or publicly-held, ranking in the top 60 in the world and top 50 among all U.S. agencies, and also ranking No. 1 in the Southeast Region.
About French/West/Vaughan
French/West/Vaughan (FWV) is one of the nation’s leading public relations, public affairs, advertising and digital media agencies. Headquartered in Raleigh, N.C. with offices in NYC, Detroit, L.A. and Tampa, FWV has received 36 Global or National Agency of the Year honors since its founding in 1997, along with more than 1,700 PR, advertising and digital marketing awards on behalf of its global roster of blue-chip clients. FWV is the parent company of fashion and lifestyle PR firm AMP3; pet and animal health practice Fetching PR; and Prix Productions, a feature and documentary film production company. FWV is a partner in IPREX, a $508 million network of communication agencies with 1,100 staff and more than 60 offices worldwide. For more information, visit fwv-us.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Vimeo or Instagram.