The Brunswick Group is a leading global communications agency that provides strategic counsel and services to businesses and organizations around the world. With over 1,500 employees in 24 offices across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas, Brunswick advises clients on critical communications issues including mergers and acquisitions, public relations, corporate reputation, crisis, and litigation communications.
What services does the Brunswick Group provide?
The Brunswick Group offers a wide range of strategic communications services to help clients manage complex communications challenges. Key services include:
- Mergers and acquisitions communications – Developing and executing communications strategies for M&A transactions, IPOs, spin-offs, joint ventures, and other deals.
- Corporate positioning and thought leadership – Building and protecting corporate reputation through strategic positioning, executive visibility programs, and thought leadership campaigns.
- Crisis and issues management – Advising clients on preparing for and responding to crises, controversies, and reputation threats.
- Investor relations – Providing counsel on financial communications, investor messaging, and relationships with the investment community.
- Public affairs and government relations – Navigating complex public policy challenges and building relationships with policymakers and influencers.
- Digital and social media – Developing integrated digital, social media, and data analytics strategies.
- Talent, culture and executive positioning – Supporting clients on executive transitions, internal communications, employer branding and diversity and inclusion.
In addition to these core services, Brunswick provides specialty offerings including cyber security and data privacy advisory, business purpose and sustainability consulting, creative content and film production, and research and business intelligence services.
Who are Brunswick’s clients?
Brunswick works with leading multinational companies across all major industries including consumer goods, energy, financial services, healthcare and life sciences, industrials, professional services, real estate, technology, and transportation. Some of their major clients include:
- Apple
- Blackstone
- Mars
- McDonald’s
- Microsoft
- Nestlé
- PepsiCo
- Procter & Gamble
- Samsung
- Uber
- Unilever
In addition, Brunswick serves governments, sovereign wealth funds, private equity firms, professional sports organizations, foundations, and other institutions.
Where are Brunswick’s offices located?
Brunswick has a global footprint with offices located in major business and financial hubs worldwide. Key office locations include:
| Americas | Washington D.C, New York, San Francisco, Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles |
| Europe | London, Brussels, Frankfurt, Paris, Milan, Stockholm, Vienna |
| Middle East | Abu Dhabi, Dubai |
| Asia | Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo |
This extensive office network allows Brunswick to serve clients through a global approach, while maintaining local market knowledge and relationships.
How many employees does Brunswick have?
Brunswick has over 1,500 employees worldwide. The company’s personnel includes experienced consultants from diverse backgrounds in fields such as journalism, government affairs, finance, marketing, and corporate communications. Approximately two-thirds of Brunswick’s senior team have previously held in-house communications roles.
When was the Brunswick Group founded?
Brunswick was founded in 1987 in London. The company was started by Sir Alan Parker, a veteran of public relations and politics, along with a small team. Brunswick opened its first overseas office in New York in 1991 to provide cross-border advisory services to multinational companies.
In the 1980s and 1990s, as globalization accelerated, Brunswick was one of the first communications consultancies to build an international network to serve clients with global communications needs. Today their global reach and local expertise is a key competitive advantage.
Who are Brunswick’s major competitors?
As a leading global strategic communications firm, Brunswick competes for business with other major PR and communications agencies including:
- Edelman
- Finsbury
- FTI Consulting
- Hering Schuppener
- Hill+Knowlton Strategies
- Kekst CNC
- Ogilvy
- Porter Novelli
- Publicis
- Ruder Finn
- WE Communications
However, Brunswick differentiates itself through its specialized expertise in critical issues like M&A communications, corporate reputation, and crisis management. The firm is consistently ranked among the top strategic communications advisories globally.
Who leads the Brunswick Group?
The Brunswick Group’s leadership team includes:
- Neal Wolin, Group Chief Executive Officer
- Susan Gilchrist, Group Chief Financial Officer
- Jon Miller, Partner and Global Head of Corporate Reputation
- Nick Howard, Partner and Global Head of Cyber Security and Data Privacy
- Meaghan Ramsey, Partner and Global Head of Business Purpose
- Dean Scarborough, Senior Advisor and Former CEO of Avery Dennison
The company was founded by Sir Alan Parker, who served as Chairman until 2019. Brunswick’s leadership combines experienced communications experts with advisors from the corporate world.
What is Brunswick’s business and financial performance?
As a privately held partnership, Brunswick does not disclose its financial results. However, the company has achieved steady growth both organically and through acquisitions. Revenues were estimated to exceed $500 million in 2021.
Brunswick has organically expanded its geographic presence, digital and data capabilities, and specialty offerings. The firm has also undertaken strategic acquisitions to complement its expertise including:
- 2021 – Acquired Black Sun Plc, a digital content and data analytics agency
- 2019 – Acquired Kepler Group to form cyber security and data privacy advisory practice
- 2017 – Acquired Ozmo, a creative agency
The firm continues to invest in top talent, new service offerings, and its global infrastructure to support clients with integrated, tech-enabled communications solutions.
What is Brunswick’s company culture and values?
Brunswick has cultivated a distinctive culture centered on deep client collaboration, diverse thinking, and high standards of integrity. Key elements of their culture and values include:
- Client focus – Adopting a partnership approach and providing uncompromising senior counsel
- Integrity – Commitment to ethical business practices and responsible advocacy
- Excellence – Recruiting exceptional talent and striving to be industry leaders
- Global mindset – Respect for local cultures while transferring ideas across regions
- Inclusion – Embracing diverse people and perspectives
Brunswick aims to cultivate a supportive, meritocratic environment where employees can build long-term careers advising leading organizations and addressing important economic and societal issues.
Conclusion
The Brunswick Group is a preeminent strategic communications consultancy trusted by leading global businesses, institutions, and governments. Their core expertise in navigating complex critical issues combined with a global footprint, specialty capabilities, and deeply collaborative approach enables them to deliver sophisticated, nuanced counsel.
With over 30 years of experience advising clients from multinationals to sovereign nations, Brunswick stands at the forefront of the public relations and communications industry. Their focus on integrity, excellence and diversity allows them to attract exceptional talent and maintain long-term client relationships based on trust. As a privately held firm, Brunswick has achieved steady expansion through investments in talent, new services, acquisitions and global offices while retaining its distinctive culture.
