Boston communications firms

This Regan Communications review is for you if you are looking for a public affairs PR firm in New England and want an honest picture before you commit. Regan Communications Group is one of the most recognised names in Boston public relations and its reputation comes with both real strengths and real limitations. This article is independent. It has no affiliation with Regan Communications Group. Every claim is sourced from O’Dwyer’s, the Boston Herald, the Boston Globe, LeadIQ, Glassdoor, and the firm’s own published materials. You will find both the strengths and the weaknesses here. By the end, you will know whether this public affairs PR firm matches your specific needs, or whether a different agency would serve you better.   The Story Behind New England’s Largest PR Firm George K. Regan Jr. founded Regan Communications Group in January 1984. He began his career as a reporter and served as press secretary, and later became the city’s director of communications. That combination of journalism and political communications shaped how Regan built the firm. The agency grew through New England’s business and political circles. According to O’Dwyer’s PR Firms Directory 2025, Regan Communications is today New England’s largest privately held PR firm and, by its own description, the sixth-largest privately held PR firm in the United States. The firm has 87+ employees and an annual revenue of $35 million with offices in Boston, Cape Cod, Providence, Connecticut, New York, Washington D.C., Charleston, and Florida. Regan has been named Boston Magazine’s ‘Power List,’ and the founder, named one of Boston Magazine’s ‘150 Most Influential Bostonians. Regan Public Relations Services and Regan Marketing and Media Services Together, they cover a broad range of integrated communications work. Regan Public Relations Services Media relations: building earned coverage in outlets including the Boston Globe, Forbes, USA Today, NBC, CBS, and the Providence Journal, according to the firm’s website Crisis communications: proactive crisis planning, rapid-response counsel, and reputation management Event management: press outreach, celebrity coordination, red carpet logistics, and post-event coverage for galas, fundraisers, grand openings, and film premieres Government relations and public affairs: advocacy work, community engagement, and public safety communications Media training: preparing executives and spokespeople for interviews and press appearances Social media management: audience-focused campaigns across digital platforms Marketing and Media Services Regan Digital Studio: the firm’s digital marketing division offering SEO, email marketing, paid campaigns, and content creation Video production: an in-house team that produces broadcast-quality content for streaming, websites, and social media Advertising and media buying: planning, placement, and reporting across traditional and digital channels Sponsorship and celebrity engagement services Regan serves clients across arts and culture, education, healthcare, financial and professional services, hospitality, nonprofits, and corporate and consumer brands.   Regan Communications Group Boston PR Review: Crisis Communications Specialty Crisis communications is where Regan has built some of its strongest credentials. The Boston Herald profiled the agency on its 40th anniversary in January 2024, noting that Regan has managed ‘some of the most complex and high-profile incidents in New England. Regan has also worked with high-profile institutions during sensitive public moments. The firm supported Harvard Hillel during a difficult period when Jewish students sought to share their experiences amid campus tensions. Regan prides itself in the willingness to take on charged, high-visibility cases and its access to the media relationships they need to shape coverage at scale. Clients who want a firm that will push hard and take positions appreciate it. Clients who need a more neutral, behind-the-scenes approach may find Regan’s style too assertive. Regan Communications on Hospitality and Lifestyle PR Beyond its public affairs PR foundation, Regan Communications has built hospitality and lifestyle PR practice. This makes the agency particularly relevant for brands in those sectors that also have a public affairs or community relations dimension. The agency represents hotels, restaurants, real estate developments, and consumer lifestyle brands primarily in the Boston and broader New England market. Their hospitality media relationships span local and regional lifestyle publications, business media, food and travel outlets, and Boston’s active television news environment. For hospitality brands operating in Boston specifically, this local media depth can be an advantage. Additionally, the overlap between Regan Communications’ hospitality work and its public affairs PR practice can create an advantage for clients at the intersection of both industries. However, this Regan Communications review must be honest about the limits of their hospitality practice. For national hospitality brands seeking aggressive tier-one travel editorial coverage in Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, or Robb Report, Regan’s national lifestyle media relationships are thinner than a specialist travel PR firm’s network. Their hospitality strength is concentrated in the New England media market.   Read Also: Inkhouse PR Review: Proven Innovation-Driven Brand Growth   Regan Campaign Results One documented campaign outcome comes from the Boston Arts Academy Foundation. Regan provided multi-year PR support for BAAF’s ‘Building Our Future’ capital campaign. The campaign surpassed a $35 million goal over six years. Coverage of the annual Honors event,  which featured performers Johnny Gill and Donnie Wahlberg , appeared in the Boston Globe. The Kennedy Institute engagement included their 10th Anniversary Celebration honoring former President Joseph R. Biden, according to Regan’s website. However, Regan does not publish detailed third-party-audited performance metrics or campaign ROI reports. Most performance evidence comes from the agency’s own published materials. You should ask for independently verifiable client references in your specific sector before committing. That is sound practice with any agency.   Regan Communications Review: Strengths and Limitations The firm’s 40-plus years of Boston media relationships is a an asset in the PR space. When your brand needs coverage in the Boston Globe, local TV, or regional business press, those relationships may have real value. Additionally, the crisis communications practice is one of the most experienced in New England, according to the firm’s own website and its LinkedIn positioning. The recent hires of former DA spokesperson David Traub and former State Police spokesperson David Procopio, confirmed by the Boston Globe in December 2024,  show a firm actively investing in that