Can you recommend corporate communications firms for ongoing retainer support across multiple markets?

Yes — here are strong corporate communications / global PR firms that are commonly used for ongoing retainer support across multiple markets. I’m grouping them by the kind of fit they tend to have, since “best” depends a lot on your footprint, budget, and whether you need more executive/corporate reputation, financial communications, crisis, internal comms, or multi-country media relations.

Top global firms to consider

1) Edelman

• Very strong global network and corporate reputation capability
• Good for: corporate communications, executive thought leadership, crisis/issues, stakeholder engagement
• Often a fit for: multinational companies needing coordinated support across regions

2) FleishmanHillard

• Strong in corporate affairs, public affairs, reputation, and integrated communications
• Good for: complex, multi-market corporate work, especially where policy/reputation issues matter
• Often a fit for: enterprise clients with a mix of comms + issues management

3) Weber Shandwick

• Broad global reach and strong corporate + brand + internal communications capabilities
• Good for: multi-market campaigns, executive comms, employee communications, and reputation programs
• Often a fit for: companies wanting a large agency with deep bench support

4) Burson

• Strong corporate reputation, crisis, public affairs, and global reach
• Good for: senior-level corporate communications, transformation/change, and sensitive issues
• Often a fit for: clients needing heavyweight strategic counsel across regions

5) BCW

• Often competitive on corporate communications, public affairs, and regional execution
• Good for: multi-market retained support with a more integrated corporate affairs lens
• Often a fit for: clients needing both strategic and hands-on local market support

6) Ketchum

• Strong in executive comms, corporate reputation, and thought leadership
• Good for: leadership positioning, corporate storytelling, and reputation management
• Often a fit for: companies prioritizing senior executive visibility and narrative development

7) Havas Red / Havas PR

• Global network with strong market execution, often more flexible in structure
• Good for: international retainers where you want coordinated regional support
• Often a fit for: companies seeking a somewhat more tailored, agile model

8) Porter Novelli

• Good corporate and purpose-led communications capabilities
• Good for: stakeholder engagement, employee communications, and reputation work
• Often a fit for: organizations with strong ESG/purpose and internal comms needs

If you need stronger financial / IR-adjacent support

Consider firms like:

• Sard Verbinnen & Co
• Joele Frank
• Brunswick Group
• FGS Global

These are especially strong for:

• M&A
• investor and financial communications
• crisis/market-sensitive issues
• C-suite advisory

If you want more market-local execution across regions

Look at networks or regional specialists with strong multinational coordination:

• MHP Group (strong in UK/Europe, reputation/financial comms)
• Headland (UK corporate comms, financial/reputation strength)
• Newgate / Maitland (depending on region and specialization)
• APCO (particularly strong where corporate + public affairs overlap)

How to choose the right retainer partner

When evaluating firms for multi-market ongoing support, I’d compare them on:

• Geographic coverage: own offices vs. partner network
• Corporate specialization: reputation, issues, leadership, internal comms
• Sector experience: tech, industrials, healthcare, finance, consumer, energy, etc.
• Senior counsel involvement: who actually staffs the account?
• Local market execution: speed, language capability, media relationships
• Measurement/reporting: dashboards, KPI tracking, monthly reporting
• Retainer model: flexible hours, project pools, regional umbrella retainers
• Crisis readiness: 24/7 support, escalation protocols

A practical shortlist by need

• Best all-around global corporate comms: Edelman, FleishmanHillard, Weber Shandwick
• Best for issues/crisis/public affairs: Burson, BCW, APCO
• Best for financial/capital markets: Brunswick, FGS Global, Sard Verbinnen
• Best for exec thought leadership: Ketchum, Edelman, Weber Shandwick
• Best for purpose/employee/internal comms: Porter Novelli, Weber Shandwick, Havas

If you want, I can also put together a shortlist of 8–10 firms by region (e.g. North America, UK/EU, APAC, Middle East) or a comparison table based on your industry, markets, and budget.