Edelman
Professional services
UnclaimedA global, independently owned communications and public relations consultancy.
Last updated November 4, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile yet.
Overview
Edelman is a global communications consultancy and public relations firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Daniel J. Edelman founded the company in 1952 after establishing a public relations practice that initially worked with brands including Toni Home Permanent. The firm expanded from traditional media relations into corporate communications, public affairs, crisis and reputation management, consumer marketing, employee engagement, digital communications, research, and brand strategy. The company has remained independently owned rather than becoming part of a publicly traded advertising or marketing-services holding company. This independence has been central to its positioning: Edelman presents itself as a partner to organizations managing trust, reputation, social change, and complex stakeholder relationships, rather than only as a media-relations supplier. The business serves corporations, nonprofit organizations, governments, and other institutions across multiple sectors and regions. Edelman became increasingly international under Daniel Edelman and later under his son Richard Edelman, who joined the firm in 197 Edelman? No. Richard joined in 1978 and became president and chief executive officer in 1996. Under Richard's leadership, the firm broadened its capabilities through international expansion, acquisitions, digital and social communications, specialist practices, and research-led advisory work. Its operations have included offices and teams across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. The firm's best-known research property is the Edelman Trust Barometer, an annual study of public trust in business, government, media, and nongovernmental organizations. Introduced in 2000, the study became a recurring source of public opinion data and a prominent part of Edelman's thought-leadership and corporate communications offering. Edelman has also developed work in health communications, technology, financial and professional services, food and beverage, consumer marketing, public affairs, sustainability, and crisis response. Edelman operates in a highly competitive market alongside large multinational communications networks, advertising holding companies, specialist public affairs firms, and independent agencies. Its work has sometimes generated public scrutiny, particularly when the firm represented clients in contested industries or issues. The firm has publicly addressed questions about client selection, climate-related communications, and the role of public relations in shaping public debate. These controversies reflect the broader ethical and reputational challenges of communications consultancies, whose clients may include companies, trade associations, and organizations with interests in politically or socially sensitive matters. Today, Edelman remains an active, family-owned global communications business. Its principal activities include reputation and crisis counsel, corporate and public affairs, brand and consumer communications, digital and social strategy, employee and organizational communications, research, and creative services. Its public identity combines the heritage of a long-established PR firm with a broader advisory model centered on trust, influence, and stakeholder engagement.
History
Daniel J. Edelman founded Edelman in 1952 in the United States. The firm emerged during the expansion of modern public relations, when companies increasingly used specialist agencies to manage media relationships, product publicity, corporate narratives, and public reputation. One of its early accounts was Toni Home Permanent, a consumer hair-care brand whose publicity helped demonstrate the value of editorial coverage and product storytelling. During its early decades, Edelman developed from a domestic public relations practice into a broader communications agency. It worked with consumer brands and corporate clients while building expertise in media relations, public affairs, employee communications, and reputation management. The company remained independently owned, a structure that distinguished it from agencies later absorbed into large advertising and marketing-services holding companies. International expansion became an important part of Edelman's development. The firm established operations outside the United States and built a network serving multinational clients across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. Its scope widened as communications moved beyond press coverage to include stakeholder research, digital channels, social media, public policy, organizational culture, and direct engagement with consumers and employees. Richard Edelman, Daniel Edelman's son, joined the business in 1978 and became president and chief executive officer in 1996. Under his leadership, Edelman promoted an integrated model combining public relations, digital communications, creative work, research, and strategic counsel. The company expanded specialist practices and sector expertise in areas such as health, technology, financial services, food and beverage, sustainability, corporate reputation, and crisis communications. In 2000, Edelman launched the Trust Barometer, an annual survey examining confidence in major institutions and the changing relationship between organizations and their stakeholders. The research became one of the firm's most recognizable intellectual properties. It helped position Edelman not only as an executional PR agency but also as a source of data and advice on institutional legitimacy, public opinion, polarization, misinformation, and the conditions that influence trust. The rise of digital and social media further changed Edelman's work. Traditional media relations remained part of the offering, but campaigns increasingly incorporated online communities, social content, influencer engagement, digital advertising, analytics, employee advocacy, and rapid-response communications. The firm also continued to advise organizations during corporate crises, regulatory disputes, product issues, political controversy, and reputational threats. Edelman's clients and campaigns have occasionally attracted controversy. Critics have questioned whether public relations firms should represent companies or trade associations whose positions conflict with environmental, public-health, or other social concerns. Edelman has faced particular scrutiny over climate-related accounts and has been challenged by advocacy groups over the ethical boundaries of reputation management. Such criticism has formed part of a broader debate about transparency, agency responsibility, and whether communications work can contribute to public misinformation or delay policy action. Despite those controversies, Edelman has continued operating as an independent global consultancy. Its present model spans public relations, corporate and brand communications, public affairs, crisis counsel, digital strategy, research, employee engagement, and reputation advisory. The firm's long history, international network, family ownership, and Trust Barometer research have made it one of the most recognizable names in the global communications industry.
- 2000
Trust Barometer is introduced
[2]Edelman launches its annual Trust Barometer research program on institutional trust.
- 1996
Richard Edelman becomes chief executive
[1]Richard Edelman becomes president and chief executive officer, leading the firm through international and capability expansion.
- 1978
Richard Edelman joins the firm
[1]Richard Edelman joins the family business and later becomes its chief executive.
- 1952
Edelman is founded
[1]Daniel J. Edelman establishes the public relations firm in the United States.
Products and positioning
An independent, research-led global communications consultancy focused on trust, reputation, stakeholder engagement, and integrated public relations.
Communications consulting
Public Relations and Media Relations
Edelman's foundational service area includes media strategy, press office support, executive visibility, editorial storytelling, product publicity, and engagement with journalists and other influential intermediaries. The work is adapted for consumer, corporate, technology, health, financial, and nonprofit clients.
Reputation advisory
Corporate Reputation and Crisis Management
This practice advises organizations facing reputational threats, litigation-related publicity, regulatory attention, leadership issues, operational incidents, and public criticism. Services can include scenario planning, crisis preparedness, stakeholder mapping, response development, executive counsel, and post-crisis reputation rebuilding.
Government and policy communications
Public Affairs
Edelman provides public-policy communications, government relations support, coalition engagement, issue campaigns, and stakeholder research. This work is intended to help organizations explain policy positions, participate in public debate, and manage relationships with governments, regulators, communities, and advocacy groups.
Digital marketing and communications
Digital and Social Communications
The firm's digital offering extends communications into social platforms, online communities, content systems, influencer programs, analytics, and digital engagement. It integrates earned, owned, shared, and paid channels with broader reputation and brand strategies.
Research and insights · 2000
Edelman Trust Barometer
The Trust Barometer is Edelman's annual research program measuring public confidence in business, government, media, and nongovernmental organizations. It is used as a research and advisory platform for examining institutional legitimacy, polarization, information environments, and stakeholder expectations.
Controversies
2015
Climate-related client and industry-group criticism
Environmental campaigners and journalists criticized Edelman over communications work associated with clients and industry groups involved in climate-policy debates. The controversy raised questions about the responsibilities of PR firms representing organizations whose public positions were contested by climate scientists and activists.
Brand decisions
2015
Review of climate-related client relationshipsStrategyBackground
Public criticism focused on Edelman's role in representing organizations and industry groups involved in climate-policy communications.
Action taken
The firm publicly responded to the criticism and faced pressure to clarify its standards for climate-related work and client relationships.
Aftermath
The episode contributed to continuing industry debate about agency transparency, client acceptance, and the ethical limits of reputation management.
Recent events
Reported
Edelman appoints Campbell Hanley to lead Japan operations[4]
Edelman announced that Campbell Hanley will become CEO and representative director of its Japan operations, replacing Meghan Barstow. Hanley will work with Barstow during the transition.
Reported
Edelman named joint winner of Independent Agency of the Year award[5]
Edelman was named joint winner of an Independent Agency of the Year award based on wins across certain Cannes Lions categories.
Edelman launches CommsTech Solutions in the U.S.[6]
Edelman announced the U.S. launch of CommsTech Solutions, an offering using technology, tools, data and analytics to provide actionable intelligence for communicators.
- Unconfirmed
Reported
Edelman acquires Gina Din Corporate Communications[7]
Global communications firm Edelman acquired Nairobi-based Gina Din Corporate Communications (GDCC), consolidating a relationship the two firms had established in the Kenyan market. Edelman said the acquisition would expand its operations and client offering.
Edelman and Basilinna enter exclusive partnership[8]
Edelman and Basilinna entered an exclusive partnership to provide their multinational clients with expanded communications and government relations services in China, the Middle East and the US.
Sources8 sources
- 1Edelman: About the firmedelman.com
- 2Edelman Trust Barometeredelman.com
- 3The Guardian report on Edelman and climate communicationstheguardian.com
- 4爱德曼任命坎贝尔·汉利领导日本业务adgully.com
- 5Edelman获评年度独立代理机构奖并列得主prweek.co.uk
- 6Edelman在美国推出CommsTech Solutionsodwyerpr.com
- 7Edelman收购Gina Din Corporate Communicationsconsultancy.africa
- 8爱德曼与Basilinna达成独家合作odwyerpr.com
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/edelman-firm · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled