Fresno’s largest marketing and public relations agencies continue to hold their positions at the top of the industry, even as staffing levels fluctuate, digital services expand and smaller firms compete for clients across the Central Valley.
The Business Journal’s 2026 list of Marketing Agencies/PR Firms (page 10) shows Jeffrey Scott Agency retaining the top spot with 34 employees, followed by Archer & Hound Advertising with 25 and HYPHEN with 20.
Those three firms, including HYPHEN under its former name, JP Marketing, have consistently occupied positions near the top of the list over the past four years.
But a comparison of rankings dating to 2023 reveals more than a stable leadership group. The lists document changes in employment, the addition of specialized firms and a widening range of services that extend beyond traditional advertising.
The latest edition includes 21 businesses, compared with 10 listed in each of the three preceding editions. That broader representation offers a more expansive snapshot of the region’s marketing and communications industry, although not every firm disclosed employee counts or other business information.
Established firms continue to lead
Jeffrey Scott Agency, founded locally in 1976, has held the No. 1 position throughout the four-year period.
The Fresno agency reported 32 employees in 2023, 33 in 2024 and 30 in 2025 before climbing to 34 in the latest ranking.
Its number of accounts has increased more consistently, rising from 52 in 2023 to 56 in 2024, 62 in 2025 and 67 in 2026.
The agency serves clients in financial services, food, agriculture, real estate, entertainment, travel, education, senior living and transit.
Archer & Hound Advertising has also remained a fixture near the top, holding second place in each of the past three editions after ranking fourth in 2023.
Its staffing numbers have varied, moving from 27 employees in 2023 to 30 in 2024, then declining to 27 in 2025 and 25 in 2026.
The agency reported 115 accounts this year, compared with 123 in 2025.
HYPHEN, formerly JP Marketing, ranks third with 20 employees. The firm reported 23 employees in 2023, 20 in 2024 and 21 in 2025.
Its services include branding, marketing, outreach, media buying and trade show management.
Together, the three largest agencies account for 79 reported employees in the latest edition, compared with 78 among the same three firms in 2025.
That combined stability, however, masks different staffing trajectories among the individual businesses.
Middle rankings show a mix of stability and growth
McDougal Marketing holds fourth place in 2026 with 10 employees, a staffing level it has maintained across all four editions.
The agency serves agriculture, financial services, entertainment, retail and voting-related clients.
Cohen Communications climbed to fifth place with eight employees, compared with seven in 2025 and 2024. It ranked eighth in 2023 and seventh in 2024 before moving to sixth last year.
PREM PR & Social ranks sixth with six employees, up from five in 2025 but below its reported workforce of nine in 2023 and 10 in 2024.
Five Creative Group and McCormick Marketing each reported five employees in 2026.
Five Creative Group has ranged from four to five employees across the four editions. McCormick Marketing has reported five employees in every edition since 2023.
These figures illustrate the different staffing patterns among the region’s agencies. Some have maintained essentially unchanged workforces, while others have experienced more pronounced changes.
They do not, however, provide enough information to determine whether changes reflect business demand, restructuring, outsourcing or other operational decisions.
The rankings are based first on employee counts and then, in cases of ties, on the number of accounts.
Digital services become a defining feature
One of the clearest developments across the four editions is the breadth of digital services described by participating firms.
Search engine optimization, social media management, website development, video production and digital advertising appear repeatedly in the lists.
McCormick Marketing’s descriptions offer a particularly detailed example of how the services agencies report have evolved.
In 2023, the company listed mobile marketing, search engine optimization, connected television and over-the-top advertising, Google Search and digital display services.
Its 2026 listing includes SEO and answer engine optimization, or AEO, along with connected television, automation, customer relationship management, video and social content.
Other agencies also describe integrated digital offerings.
PREM lists social media marketing, public relations, content creation, digital advertising, SEO, websites and branding.
Jeffrey Scott Agency reports services spanning digital and traditional advertising, website development, public relations, video production, packaging and paid media.
Archer & Hound lists branding, content creation, media buying, design, video production and branded merchandise.
The descriptions suggest that agencies are positioning themselves to handle multiple aspects of clients’ communications needs, rather than concentrating exclusively on advertising placement or publicity.
While the lists demonstrate the availability of these services, they do not measure how much revenue firms generate from them or whether client spending has shifted toward particular platforms.
More specialized firms enter the picture
The 2026 list also features businesses offering specialized services or serving narrower segments of the market.
Vista Consulting, a new entrant to the ranking, reported four employees and 24 accounts. The Clovis firm focuses on public affairs, public relations, advocacy and crisis communications for organizations interacting with government.
Executive Marketing Firm, also newly ranked, reported four employees and eight accounts, identifying contractors as its primary market.
On The Horizon Communications, based in Visalia, reported three employees and offers press release writing and distribution.
Baker Dillon Group, based in Clovis, reported two employees and works with nutraceuticals, natural products, CBD and food businesses.
Other listed firms include Centered Marketing Group in Madera, Bridging Connections in Visalia and Andes & Associates in Hanford.
Their inclusion highlights an industry that reaches beyond Fresno and Clovis into other Central Valley communities.
The latest list also includes businesses offering services such as podcast production, studio rental, graphic design, content creation and specialized public relations.
Some previously ranked companies do not appear in the 2026 edition, including Mendez Media Marketing and Boling Air Media, which appeared on earlier lists.
Their absence should not be interpreted as evidence that they closed or stopped operating. The Business Journal notes that not all businesses surveyed respond to inquiries.
What the four-year picture reveals
The latest ranking presents a regional industry with recognizable leaders, a substantial group of smaller agencies and an increasingly diverse menu of marketing services.
It also shows the importance of distinguishing rankings from broader measures of industry performance.
Although the 2026 edition includes more businesses than earlier versions, the change does not necessarily mean the number of operating agencies has grown by the same amount.
Likewise, employee counts cannot establish whether the industry’s overall revenue, profitability or client spending is increasing.
Still, several patterns are clear.
Jeffrey Scott Agency has maintained its leadership while increasing its reported account count. Archer & Hound and HYPHEN remain among the largest agencies despite changes in staffing. Several smaller firms have maintained consistent employment levels, while digital marketing capabilities appear throughout the list.
The mix of clients also underscores the industry’s regional reach. Agriculture, financial services, health care, real estate, tourism, education, construction and government-related organizations are among the sectors served by participating firms.
As agencies continue adapting their service offerings, future rankings will help show whether employment growth accompanies that diversification or whether the region’s marketing sector continues to operate with relatively lean teams.
For now, the 2026 list depicts a competitive Central Valley industry anchored by established agencies and supplemented by an increasingly varied group of specialized providers.
