French/West/Vaughan Named Top Agency in the Southeast for 25th Consecutive Year
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RALEIGH, N.C. (May 4, 2026) – 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 2026 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 25 consecutive years. FWV also kept its top 20 position among all U.S. agencies for the third year in a row.
The agency maintained top five positions in two key practice areas – Entertainment (No. 3) and Beauty, Fashion & Lifestyle (No. 4) – and climbed from No. 5 to No. 4 in Sports.
FWV also broke into the top 10 in Purpose and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), rising from No. 12 to No. 6. Additional top 10 gains include Automotive/Transportation (No. 7, up from No. 8) and Environmental, Sustainability & Greentech PR (No. 9, up from No. 10).
The agency maintained top 10 rankings across five sectors: Adult Beverages/Spirits (No. 6), Agriculture (No. 7), Crisis Communications (No. 8), Energy (No. 9) and Travel, Hospitality & Economic Development (No. 10).
“Maintaining our leadership position in the Southeast while continuing to climb across key practice areas speaks to the strength and evolution of our integrated model,” said FWV Chairman & CEO Rick French. “As the communications landscape continues to shift, our team remains focused on delivering smart, strategic work that drives meaningful results for our wide variety of clients.”
FWV was also recently included in PRWeek’s list of top global firms – both independent and publicly held – ranking in the top 60 worldwide and top 50 among U.S. agencies, while also earning the No. 1 spot in the Southeast. These come on the heels of FWV being named to PRovoke’s lists of 100 Best PR Agencies in the World, 100 Best Consumer PR Agencies in the World and 100 Best Corporate PR Agencies in the World.