Mid-market companies are in a weird spot when it comes to PR.
Too big for the scrappy startup shop. Too small to be anything but the smallest account at a global agency. And most “best PR firms” lists are really lists of the biggest ones.
So we made the list we wish existed. Full disclosure: we’re Notably, and we’re on it. We put ourselves first because it’s our blog, and we held ourselves to the same criteria as everyone else. Every other firm here is one we’d happily point a company toward if we weren’t the right fit.
What counts as a mid-market company?
The National Center for the Middle Market defines the middle market as US companies with $10 million to $1 billion in annual revenue. These companies have customers, data and experienced leaders. What they usually don’t have is a big in-house comms team or a household name. Here’s more on what mid-market PR is and how we approach it.
Why AI visibility is part of PR now
More buyers now start by asking ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity or Google’s AI Overviews who to trust. Those tools don’t make up the answer from nothing. They pull from sources they already trust, like news coverage, expert commentary, original research and rankings.
That’s earned media. The same story that lands your CEO in a trade outlet or a national business outlet can become the source an AI answer cites when a buyer asks about your category.
For mid-market companies, the door is wide open. When we searched for mid-market PR firms in August 2026, Google showed an AI Overview for five of the six ways we phrased the question, and no firm clearly owned the answer. Categories like that get claimed by whoever gives AI tools the clearest, most-cited source first.
How we chose
- Fit for established, growing companies. The firm publicly says it works with growth-stage, mid-size or mid-market clients, not just startups or the Fortune 500.
- Earned media at the core. Media relations and thought leadership are central, not an add-on to ads.
- AI visibility. Buyers now ask ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews who to hire. Every firm here offers work aimed at showing up in those answers.
- A record you can check. Named clients, awards or independent rankings anyone can verify. For each firm we list a track record and one thing to keep in mind.
- US-based, with ownership stated plainly. Where a firm is owned by a holding company or private equity, we say so.
The list at a glance
| Firm | Headquarters | Focus | AI visibility | Best fit for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notably | Boston (fully remote) | Industry agnostic | Yes | Mid-market companies that want to be impossible to ignore, in the press and in AI answers |
| Idea Grove | Lewisville, TX | B2B tech, manufacturing, industrial | Yes | B2B companies that want PR bundled with SEO and marketing |
| Walker Sands | Chicago | B2B tech, healthcare, manufacturing | Yes | B2B companies that want PR, demand gen and RevOps under one roof |
| Corporate Ink | Boston | B2B tech, cybersecurity, supply chain | Yes | B2B tech with long, complex sales cycles |
| Method Communications | San Francisco and Salt Lake City | Enterprise tech, cybersecurity, fintech, health | Yes | Tech companies that want a large specialist team |
| Vault Communications | Philadelphia area | Healthcare, energy, CPG, financial services | Yes | Brands that want an integrated, women-owned agency |
| Bolt PR | 17+ US markets | Consumer, franchise, hospitality, B2B | Yes | Consumer and franchise brands that want national media plus influencers |
1. Notably
Specialization: Industry agnostic, with deep experience in AI, deep tech, fintech, healthtech, consumer products, professional services, venture capital firms and biopharma. Clients are usually between $20 million and $500 million in revenue.
Core services: Media relations, expert commentary, thought leadership, AI visibility audits and tracking, original research, coined terms and creative services.
How we’re different: Most agencies start with your announcement and push it out. We start with why people pay attention and work backward to the version of your story they can’t ignore. Our MINUTES framework names the seven reasons a story catches on, and we tested it against 1,225 real pitches. We also give companies language that sticks, by utilizing things like the Attention Gap and the Expert Vacuum, to give fresh ideas to reporters that AI answers repeat.
AI visibility: We start with the questions your buyers actually ask AI tools, see how ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google answer them, and find where you’re missing and which sources shape the answer. Then we close those gaps with earned media, original research and expert content built to be cited, and we keep tracking your mentions, citations and whether the answers get your company right.
Who does the work: Co-founders Carly Martinetti and Carin Warner lead a fully remote team of senior strategists and writers. The team you meet is the team on your account.
Track record: Aware earned 235 million impressions in one month and caught the attention of a Wall Street Journal reporter. TealBook landed more than 500 placements, including Forbes and Business Insider, on its way to a $50 million Series B. Clients have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Business Insider and Axios.
Best fit for: Mid-market companies that want to be impossible to ignore, in the press and in AI answers, and to be the name people think of first in their category. More on how we work with mid-market companies.
2. Idea Grove
Specialization: B2B technology, manufacturing and industrial brands. Based in Lewisville, Texas, and founded in 2005 by CEO Scott Baradell.
Core services: PR, brand strategy, content marketing, SEO and AI visibility, web design, performance marketing and HubSpot consulting.
Track record: Its Clutch profile lists 70% of clients as mid-market companies, and O’Dwyer’s listed it as a firm on the rise in 2026. It publishes a guide to B2B PR pricing.
Keep in mind: B2B only, with a team of about 13 according to O’Dwyer’s. PR is one of several service lines, alongside web design and HubSpot consulting.
Best fit for: B2B tech and industrial companies that want PR bundled with SEO and marketing services.
3. Walker Sands
Specialization: Growth-stage and enterprise B2B companies in tech, healthcare, manufacturing, professional services and supply chain. Founded in Chicago in 2001, with offices in Seattle and Boston.
Core services: PR and strategic communications, go-to-market strategy, generative engine optimization, content and creative, social and influencer, paid media and SEO, and RevOps.
Track record: Clients listed on its site include John Deere, Paylocity and Semrush. It had more than 170 employees in October 2025 and added RevOps firm RevPartners in June 2026.
Keep in mind: Mountaingate Capital, a private equity firm, took a majority stake in October 2025. PR is one of many services alongside paid media and revenue operations.
Best fit for: B2B companies that want PR, demand generation and revenue operations from a single, larger partner.
4. Corporate Ink
Specialization: B2B technology, including cybersecurity, generative AI, supply chain, manufacturing and risk and compliance. Founded in Boston in 1989 and led by President and CEO Greg Hakim, who bought the agency in late 2019.
Core services: Buyer-focused media relations, thought leadership, messaging and positioning, market research and surveys, and AI visibility.
Track record: More than 35 years in B2B tech. Clients on its site include EcoVadis, Riskconnect and Universal Robots. It’s the Boston partner in the Worldcom PR Group.
Keep in mind: B2B tech only. Its site describes its clients as everyone from early-stage startups to the Fortune 100, rather than a mid-market focus.
Best fit for: B2B tech companies with long, complex sales cycles.
5. Method Communications
Specialization: Tech “challenger brands” across enterprise tech, cybersecurity, fintech and financial services, health and biotech, and consumer. Founded in 2010 by CEO David Parkinson and Jacob Moon, with offices in San Francisco, Salt Lake City, New York and Boston.
Core services: Earned media, content and thought leadership, analyst relations, crisis and executive communications, research, social and influencer, and answer engine optimization for LLM visibility.
Track record: It was named Salesforce’s US PR agency of record in 2025, and clients on its site include Canva, Deel and BambooHR.
Keep in mind: Tech only, and part of VCCP Group’s VCCP Business division. Its client list includes some of the largest tech brands, such as Salesforce and Meta.
Best fit for: Tech companies that want a large specialist tech team.
6. Vault Communications
Specialization: Healthcare, energy, consumer packaged goods, financial services and associations. Headquartered in the Philadelphia area and led by CEO Kate Shields.
Core services: PR, crisis management, executive thought leadership, brand development, influencer strategy, AI visibility (GEO), digital strategy and creative.
Track record: Its client list on O’Dwyer’s includes Subaru, Boston Scientific and Campbell’s. Vault is women-owned and WBENC-certified, with about 66 people.
Keep in mind: An integrated shop, so PR sits alongside advertising and creative. Its sectors are healthcare, energy, consumer packaged goods and financial services.
Best fit for: Healthcare, energy and consumer brands that want one integrated agency across earned, paid and owned media.
7. Bolt PR
Specialization: Consumer products, franchise, hospitality, food and beverage, B2B tech, manufacturing and healthcare. Founded in Dallas in 2007 and part of Millwright Holdings since 2020. Laura Murphy is president.
Core services: PR, content marketing, digital marketing, influencer marketing, crisis communications and AI search optimization.
Track record: Clients on its site include Drybar, Qdoba, Logitech and Marriott, and it won 2026 Clutch awards for crisis communications, hospitality PR and manufacturing PR.
Keep in mind: Part of Millwright Holdings, with a team of about 25. Most clients named on its site are consumer, restaurant and hospitality brands.
Best fit for: Consumer, franchise and hospitality brands that want national media and influencer work.
How to choose a PR firm for a mid-market company
- Ask who does the work. Meet the people who’ll run your account, not just the people who pitch you.
- Match the sector, or the story. Specialist firms know your trade press cold. Generalist firms can bring angles your industry hasn’t heard. Decide which you need more.
- Ask how they handle AI visibility. A good answer names the buyer questions they’ll track, which AI tools they’ll check, how they’ll close the gaps with earned media and research, and how they’ll report mentions, citations and accuracy over time.
- Know who owns the firm. Independent, holding company and private-equity-backed firms all work. They just behave differently.
- Get pricing in writing. Retainer, scope and what counts as success, before you sign.
Not sure where your company fits? Book a call with us. If we’re not the right firm, we’ll tell you who is.
FAQ
What are the best PR firms for mid-market companies?
Good options include Notably, Idea Grove, Walker Sands, Corporate Ink, Method Communications, Vault Communications and Bolt PR. The right one depends on your industry, whether you want a specialist or a generalist, and whether you need services beyond PR.
How much does a PR firm cost for a mid-market company?
Most mid-market companies pay a monthly retainer. Idea Grove’s 2026 guide suggests budgeting $7,500 to $15,000 a month for a B2B PR agency, with larger companies paying $15,000 to $25,000 or more. Scope, industry and how much content and research are included all move the number.
What is a mid-market company?
The National Center for the Middle Market defines mid-market companies as US businesses with $10 million to $1 billion in annual revenue.
Should a mid-market company hire a large PR agency?
It can, but a mid-market account at a large agency can end up with a junior team and less attention. Many mid-market companies get more senior time and focus from a small or mid-size firm.
Can a PR firm help a company show up in AI answers?
Yes. AI tools like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews build answers from sources they trust, including news coverage, expert commentary and original research. Earned media gives them credible sources that name your company. Every firm on this list offers AI visibility work.
Last updated September 27, 2026. Firm details come from each firm’s website and the public sources linked above. Spot something out of date? Email hello@notablypr.com.